Ignorance
by Melting Angels
Summary: Thor ignores his brother's warnings and charges into Yodenheime. When Loki's skin turns blue, blood falls, and Thor is faced with the possible loss of his brother. (I do not take credit for cover image) Rated T for safety. NO SLASH!


**Summary:**

Thor ignores his brother's warnings and charges into Yodenheime. When Loki's skin turns blue, blood falls, and Thor is faced with the possible loss of his brother.

**Notes:**

Thor might be a bit OOC. I did get a bit annoyed with his initial recklessness in Thor.

* * *

"Thor, this is madness!" Loki shouted.

"Three frost giants crossed our borders, dared to break into the weapons vault, and mercilessly killed two guards in the process!" Thor protested as he marched towards the bifrost, Mjolnir in hand, Loki running up behind him, Sif and the Warrior's Three not far behind.

"I know that! But Yodenheime is far too dangerous!" Loki caught up with Thor, and used his magic to hold Thor there.

He walked slowly until he was facing his brother.

"Release me now, Loki!" Thor declared as his friends caught up.

"No. What you intend to do is far too reckless and could endanger us all!" Loki stood firm.

"Loki is right." Sif agreed.

"I am more than capable of taking out a few frost giants!" Thor looked really angry now, and Loki was struggling to keep the spell up.

"You could get hurt! Or die!" Loki was fully ready to incapacitate his brother if need be.

"You think me weak?" Thor asked.

"No-" Loki started to protest. The spell weakened.

"You mean to go and take revenge yourself?" dark clouds formed above them.

"Of course not! No one in their right mind would dare go to Yodenheime!" sweat beaded on Loki's forehead as the spell cracked.

Thor's brow furrowed as he clenched Mjolnir tighter in frustration, free hand forming a tight fist. He finally broke free. In the midst of his anger, he lashed out at Loki, making the light trickster fly a few feet before crashing onto his back, head hitting the ground first with a painful sounding crack.

Sif glared at Thor as she walked past. He was to be king, and yet had acted this immaturely. Loki sat up slowly, groaning, as he held his head in his hands, gradually getting to his feet. He wobbled slightly, face pale. Thor merely marched past, brushing against Loki, nearly toppling the trickster over. Sif steadied Loki. Normally, she didn't favour Loki, but he had been right, and Thor had wronged him. Yes, what the Frost Giants had done was bad, but it didn't excuse Thor's actions. He was blinded by arrogance and hate.

Loki finally released his hands from his head, and slowly walked towards the bifrost, already closing from Thor's exit.

"What are you doing?" Sif asked.

"Making sure that the blonde oaf does not kill himself before I can return the blow." Loki smirked before vanishing into the column of rainbow light.

**PAGEBREAK**

Loki stumbled as he landed in the frosty wastelands of Yodenheime, cursing at the pain that throbbed in his head. Blinking to clear his blurring vision, he ventured forwards, following Thor-sized footprints through the snow, keeping his wits about him- a frost giant, or several, could be watching him. He suddenly heard a large yell in the near distance, followed by screeches and the clang of metal. Instantly, Loki knew it was Thor. Rushing, he ran swiftly over the snow and ice, shaking his head furiously to clear his line of sight. As he approached, Loki saw a mass of frost giants.

Taking a deep breath, Loki created a handful of golden throwing knives with his magic. Carefully taking aim, he launched the knives with ease, instantly felling three of the grotesque monsters, and severely injuring another. Diving into the fray, Loki created a sword with a blade of fire, wincing when it sizzled on contact with the giants' blue skin. Thor soon noticed his brother, and paled. Loki was clearly in pain from the hit he himself had dealt, and the normally stubborn thunder god felt a pang of guilt.

This was quickly erased as he had to focus once more on the battle.

Behind him, Loki cried out. A pained cry. Thor quickly turned, to find none other than Laufey, king of this dreaded race, holding Loki in the air by his neck. No matter how much Loki struggled, he could not get free. The thrashing started slowing down.

As Thor felled another frost giant, he ran towards Loki, flinging Mjolnir. The powerful weapon sent Laufey flying, Loki in the opposite direction. Praying to the norns, Thor rushed over to his brother's limp body.

Despite the approaching monsters, he gently cradled Loki in his arms, as carefully as one would hold a small child. Blood leaked steadily from a cut on Loki's forehead, as well as a deep gash along his left leg, and black bruises covered his neck in the shape of Laufey's grotesque hands. Wondering as to why Loki's magic wasn't healing the trickster, Thor stared as Loki's skin slowly started turning blue.

The tendrils of Jotun colour crept over Loki's body, covering his pale Aesir skin with a new hue of icy blue. Shocked, Thor almost dropped Loki. Trembling with his ideal that Loki wasn't a pure Asgardian, he inspected his brother's body for further injuries. He found three broken ribs, and felt sick to his stomach at the bruising on the left of Loki's face, caused by Thor's harsh blow to the sorceror's head.

"T...thor..." Loki murmured, slowly, weakly opening his eyes, Thor stunned to find that they were red. "Behind...you..."

Thor had no time to react as the shaking, blue mess of his brother pushed Thor aside, shielding him as Laufey thrust out an ice shard.

Time seemed to slow as Loki stood, pushing Thor further away.

A crystalline moment shattered.

Laufey stared as Thor was pushed aside.

Everything stopped.

Before it speeded up.

The shard buried itself deep in Loki's chest, and the trickster gave Thor a weak smile before he fell to his knees.

Snapping back into awareness, Thor grasped Loki before he could fully fall and drive the shard in deeper. Gently shifting Loki, Thor cradled his brother, and shook with fury at the sight of blood pouring from the fatal wound.

"LAUFEY!" Thor boomed before summoning Mjolnir.

Just as the hammer returned to Thor's grasp, a golden light filled the wrecked, icy halls of Laufey's lair. Relief filled Thor's troubled mind, followed by fear as a VERY angry Odin appeared before them. He didn't even have a moment to question his prescence before they were whisked away by the bifrost, in a kaleidoscope of colours.

Thor tightened his grip on Loki, and Mjolnir, as they emerged in the golden room of the bridge. Thor has no time to protest before Odin took Loki from Thor's arms, glared at him, and rushed away, followed by Sif, Fandral, Hogun, and Volstagg. The four warriors looked at Thor with a mixture of sadness..and...for the first time...disgust.

Sorrow consumed the thunder god as he fell to his knees.

And a single tear escaped the barriers of his emotions.

* * *

Many hours later, Odin summoned Thor to Loki's room. Swallowing, Thor entered his younger brother's room. Frigga was sat beside the trickster's bed. Loki himself was lying on his side, green silk sheets pulled up to his chin, raven black hair ruffled as Frigga gently stroked his forehead. Seeing his mother so worried sent a chill down his spine. Odin looked upon Thor with disapproval.

"Your punishment will be decided tomorrow. Our focus is on Loki at this present moment." Odin looked sadly at Loki.

The trickster...did not look good. His skin was back to the pale cream that Thor knew so well, but it was far paler than normal. Soft bandages covered his neck, and the cut on his forehead was a mere red line. However, Loki looked...tired. Fragile...almost. Sweat was beading on his forehead.

"Father..." Thor swallowed. "What is wrong with him? Shouldn't his injuries have healed by now?"

"Mostly, he is healed. But...the weapon used to inflict the deep wound on Loki's leg was laced with a poison only used by Yodenheime's most respected warriors. This is halting his full healing." Odin answered.

"He was unable to fight with his usual grace..." Frigga sighed, a tear rolling down her face. "Thor...how could you hit your brother?!"

Thor was unable to answer.

Because guilt had overtaken him.


End file.
